MYBirdClub 2024 Numbers and Year in Review
We experienced so many exciting highlights during our first year as a nonprofit and our 10th year taking kids birding.
A huge Thank You to all our supporters and partners in 2024. We could not do this without you.
· We became a 501(c)(3) and formed our first board of directors.
· We raised money to buy new binoculars, had them all stolen before we could use them.. and had them replaced for free by NOCS provisions.
· Best of all, we got out birding with so many kids and their grown-ups.
Festival and Event Tabling – 5830+ people
Very rough estimate. Counts were probably higher as most were not registered events.
· University of Minnesota & Carpenter Nature Center Raptor Release (Sept)
· Minneapolis Monarch Festival (Sept)
· Frogtown Green Festival (Aug)
· Bell Museum (May)
· Canon River STEM School (Apr)
· Wood Lake Earth Day Event (Apr)
· St. Paul Winter Carnival (Feb)
· MN Ornithologist Union Paper Session (Dec 2023)
2024 MYBirdClub Events
Numbers are as accurate as possible but may be slightly higher. We held 1 or more free event(s) every month from Jan–Nov.
· 616+ Registered
· 322+ Attended
· 239+ Cancelled (includes rain-out dates, sickness, cancellations and no-shows)
· 152+ Kids attended/filled out a waiver in 2024
· 135+ Kids were 1st-time attendees
· First time events: Spring primer, Bug/Insect Adventure, Bird Sketching
· Repeat events: Falconry Demonstration, Heron Rookery, Raptor Center
Associated Programs – engaging with 770+ people. Paid directly to Presenter/Guide
· 28 Library paid programs presented by and paid directly to Amy Simso Dean for SELCO Area Libraries (SE MN), Ramsey County Libraries and Grand Rapids Area Library
· 1 MN DNR Webinar presented by Amy Simso Dean (volunteer)
· 2 paid events for two Summer Camp Programs
· 3 paid outings for Hopkins High School
· 4 outings for Great River School, St. Paul (volunteer)
· 2 paid outings for Lakewood Cemetery
New and Ongoing Partnerships
· All the grownups who bring kids to our programs
· Big Brothers and Big Sisters
· Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary
· Frogtown Green
· MN Bluebird Recovery Project
· MN Ornithologists Union
· MN River Valley Audubon Chapter
· NOCS Provisions
· St. Paul Bird Alliance (formerly St. Paul Audubon Chapter)
· Urban Bird Collective (new for 2025)
· US Forest Service (Pending for 2025)
· Lakewood Cemetery
Financials 12/1/23–11/22/24
Grants are exclusively used for programming.
Administration fees should drop to less than $2,000 annually - primarily Insurance and website costs. Almost 50% in 2024 related to becoming a 501(c)(3).
Materials costs were much higher than anticipated due to buying new optics and having everything stolen — binoculars, monoculars and supplies. This theft accounts for 1-time costs of over $5,200 (over 65%).
We were pleasantly surprised that the theft could be covered by Amy Simso Dean’s property insurance. This helped off-set replacement costs of non-optics materials.
Financials as of 12/1/2024
Donations $17,888.81
Grants $3,024.00
1-time Insurance Payment after theft $1,892.00
In-kind Grants/Donations for Free Supplies* $2,900.00
Payments for Programs $320.00
Total Income $28,904.81
Programming (Guide/Speaker Fees) $-4,762.50
Materials/Supplies** $-7,734.48
Administration $-3,097.39
Liability and directors and officers insurance $ -1,237.33
1-time 501(c)(3) application & Legal fees $-1,350.31
Website and Misc. $-454.86
Total Payments $-18,505.81
*Includes donation from NOCS Binoculars ($2,350.00)
**Includes cost of first set of binoculars ($-2,350) that were stolen, the replacements ($-2,342.91), Hats paid for with a grant ($-500), and replacement costs for all our stolen supplies.